Connor Riopel, UBC acting graduate, had just landed his first major role in the UBC production of Constellations. Then COVID-19 hit.
Naturally, the original performance dates in April 2020 were cancelled.
“It was just really sad because I love the script so much. Then I saw the opportunity to do it again,” Riopel said in an interview with The Ubyssey.
The Presentation House Theatre’s production of Constellations, which ran from February 12-20 and starred Riopel as Roland, a beekeeper, centres on his love story with Marianne, a cosmologist studying string theory and quantum physics (the former being a physics concept that explains multiple universes). The story embraces string theory with its unique approach, jumping between multiple universes and times to tell the stories of the couple.
Working with a complex and dense script, Riopel credits his time at UBC for some of his success.
“[The acting program] gave me a lot of tools to use that I could kind of pick and choose from when doing a role like this.”
In a cast of only two characters, he noted that stamina — physical, emotional, mental — and the ability to break down a script were two of the biggest takeaways from the program that he used in this role.
“I definitely got that training [at UBC].”
He acknowledged that the preparation that he did for the UBC production helped, saying his prior knowledge was “really beneficial to the process” of stepping into the role of Roland.
As a lonely Valentine, I decided to take myself on a date to see the performance. The trek from UBC to North Vancouver was long, but my very first SeaBus ride made it more interesting. I was a little hesitant to see a production about a love story throughout multiple universes, wondering if it would make me more lonely during the capitalistic love holiday.
When I stepped into the theatre, I was immediately immersed in the story. I was greeted by a swirl of lights, ranging from cyan and yellow to red and purple, creating the illusion of space. The music didn’t feel like I was waiting for the show to start, but rather that it had already started. The theatre had a smaller stage, but was perfect for a more intimate play like this.
As the lights dimmed and the performance started, I realized how wrong my initial thoughts were. The story will break your heart and put it back together a million different ways. It put me through the entire spectrum of human emotion, making me laugh out loud and my jaw hang slack in disbelief. It may seem difficult to follow a storyline that jumps between times and universes, but the cast’s performances made it easy to differentiate between the settings.
The script is genius, and is only elevated by Riopel’s outstanding performance. He made me believe in the authenticity of each scene being a slightly different version of his character. His training and dedication are evident in his ability to completely change the course of a scene through his composure and the way Roland felt like the same character despite being various versions of him.
As a lover of La La Land and The Time Traveller’s Wife, this play was a wonderful way to spend my Valentine’s weekend. The care put into this production by the entire cast and crew translated beautifully onto the stage and I left the theatre feeling lighter than before. As I began my journey back home, I reflected on the meaning of the show. I thought about the implications of string theory and quantum physics but what consumed my thoughts was something that Riopel had said he wanted audiences to take away from the show:
“Be present and live your life and enjoy it because you don't know what is going to happen when.”